The present disclosure relates generally to subterranean drilling and completion operations and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for delivering fluids such as fluid fuel to equipment.
Oilfield operations are conducted in a variety of different locations and involve a number of equipments, depending on the operations at hand. Examples of the various equipment used include fracturing units, cementing units, blending units, material conveying units, trucks, and tractors. In some cases, this equipment may be powered by a fluid fuel such as natural gas, or it may include dual-fuel vehicles. A dual-fuel vehicle is an alternative fuel vehicle with an internal combustion engine designed to run on more than one type of fuel, for example diesel blended with natural gas.
Conventional natural gas delivery systems consist of multiple separate components, all of which must be transported from one piece of equipment to another within a site, or from one drill site to another. Such transportation typically may involve the use of a flatbed trailer holding all of the components individually. Each of the components must be unloaded, usually with a crane or other like heavy lifting equipment, and then connected so that natural gas may be conveyed across the components. This adds significant time and expense to set-up of natural gas delivery systems, and the multiple connections increase the likelihood of natural gas leakage.
While embodiments of this disclosure have been depicted and described and are defined by reference to exemplary embodiments, such references do not imply a limitation on the disclosure, and no such limitation is to be inferred. The subject matter disclosed is capable of considerable modification, alteration, and equivalents in form and function, as will occur to those skilled in the pertinent art and having the benefit of this disclosure. The depicted and described embodiments of this disclosure are examples only, and not exhaustive of the scope of the disclosure.